An amicus brief in favor of allowing race-based decisions in health professions schools

Abstract

An amicus curia, translated from the Latin means ‘friend of the court’, is a brief submitted to the court by an individual or interest groups who are not party to a court ruling, but have a strong interest in the matter under consideration by the court. This article represents such an endeavor as it relates to the recent Supreme Court decision barring the use of race-conscious admissions in colleges and universities. Though much has changed since this article was submitted, the thesis of this paper remains relevant: that, like military academies, health profession schools should be allowed to use race-conscious admission processes to ensure a diverse healthcare workforce. Military readiness and health equity are important national priorities and improving both have been linked to workforce and leadership diversification. Legal precedent and empirical data are presented to support the assertion that increased diversity in the health professions improves healthcare outcomes, enhances effective provider-patient communication, and increases patient satisfaction. To achieve better health outcomes for all Americans, deliberate diversification of health profession schools is a must.